In connection with a male urinal device of the type using a urine receptical worn on the body or near the body, it is common to use a sheath of flexible material placed over the penis and connected to the receptical with a tube or other form of flexible conduit. Some devices customarily include a narrow tape wound relatively tightly about the sheath to hold the sheath securely and prevent leakage. Since urinal devices must be worn for long periods of time, particularly in the case of paraplegics, wound tape exerts continuous pressure on a penis and particularly on the urethral passage which is located on the under side of the penis fairly close to the surface. Constrictions and discomfort may result. It is not uncommon for a tightly wound tape to cause swelling or even gangrene. On the other hand, a loose tape can allow leakage of urine and resultant irritation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,638, Rogers shows a liner pad between the sheath and the penis to form a cushion and absorb some of the pressure exerted by an externally wound tape. Often, however, the pad is inadvertently not used by an attendant applying the device to a patient or the pad is simply too wide or too narrow for a particular penis. Additionally, Rogers indicates the use of adhesive on both sides of the pad, thus eliminating the need for an external tape.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,851, Houser also eliminates an external tape by showing the use of an adhesive on both the inner and outer surfaces of a pad. In this way, the pad can be wound around a penis, and the sheath of the urinal device rolled over the pad and held in place by the adhesive. Although the devices of Rogers and Houser eliminate externally wound tape, they continue to present the problems which result whenever a material is too tightly wound about a penis.
Broerman in U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,783 shows a urinal device to be used without wound tape or pads. An adhesive is painted onto a penis and a sheath impregnated with silicone rubber placed over the adhesive. The method and device, however, are not satisfactory since reliability continues to depend on an attendant's use of a proper adhesive and proper application of the adhesive.
Hence, there continues to be a need for a safe, leak-free, male urinal device.